West Concord Advisory Committee Debates Expanded Boundaries, Dual Board Oversight in Charge Rewrite

CARLISLE — June 3, 2026 — West Concord Advisory Committee revises its charge and debates expanded geographic scope. The committee, meeting June 3 with four new pending members in attendance, reviewed a draft revised mission statement prepared by member Allison Ailey that would expand the committee's defined territory to include Emerson Hospital and New England Deaconess along Old Marlboro Road and would place the body under joint advisory authority of both the Planning Board and the Select Board. Guest attendee Paul urged the committee to add explicit language about MCI Concord's redevelopment, calling its absence from the draft "striking" and arguing the committee should have "an ongoing voice" in a development process that will outlast the current master planning committee. Members agreed that at least five of the committee's seven voting members should have a direct connection to West Concord as residents, property owners, or business operators. A two-person working group of Lindsay Wolfe and one additional member was formed to develop public outreach mechanisms, with results due at the July 1 meeting.